Chapter 750: One sword convinces all while protecting Celestial Mountain (2/2)

He’s admitting defeat? So he’s just here to show his regards?

Seeing this, third elder hastened to follow suit. He too, clasped his hands in a fist to pay Long Feiye respects. “Feiye, Third Martial Uncle accepts you too! You’ve already reached level eight of the Nirvana Heart Arts despite your young age. Your future prospects are limitless!”

Even these two capricious elders had declared their sides. Who else would challenge Long Feiye now? The sword sect master’s heart finally settled back down in his chest while Han Yunxi gave a long exhale. She wanted to dash onstage and hug Long Feiye right then and there, but she held back. She only hoped that he would return to the mountaintop quickly to treat his wounds.

Granny You rose to her feet. “Honored Elders, since no one else is going to fight, why not…”

The three Honored Elders looked at Long Feiye, their eyes filled with appreciation. Naturally, they could tell that he was simply holding on through sheer will. Very soon, one of them stood up and announced that Long Feiye had won the championship for the ranking matches, with Cang Qiuzi rounding up second place. But rather than a ranking match, it was more akin to a struggle for supremacy.

Long Feiye turned around to cup his fists at the three Honored Elders. Then he flew for the mountaintop. He saw the sword sect master and Han Yunxi waiting for him at their spot on the overhanging rock, but he ignored them in favor of Nine Xuan Hall. The duo immediately followed him, but they’d hardly reached the front door when Long Feiye sank to his knees by the entrance and vomited blood.

“Long Feiye!” Han Yunxi’s heart all but stopped in alarm. She dashed to his side and saw his complexion had turned deathly pale. His bloodshot pupils were filled with a deep, fathomless ice that made her feel like she was staring at a stranger.

“It’s alright, I’m fine…” Despite his state, he was still trying to comfort her. “I’m fine, be good, I’m just—”

He never got to finish his sentence as he spat up more mouthfuls of blood. The liquid was first red, then black–not a true black, but crimson turned dark as a result of blood stasis in the body. Han Yunxi dug through her medical pouch in a mad scramble to take out every life-saving pill she could find so she could feed them to Long Feiye. But it was no use!

She’d hardly gotten him to swallow when he spat them back up with another mouthful of blood.

“Long Feiye, don’t scare me like this! Long Feiye!”

“Tell me what to do? How do I help you? Long Feiye…”

“Long Feiye, you’re not allowed to leave me behind…you can’t!”

Han Yunxi had never discovered she could be so useless as this moment. None of her knowledge could help him a whit. Neither did Long Feiye answer any of his questions. Although he was still conscious, he didn’t even have the strength to speak anymore. His Nirvana Heart Arts had long began to reverse its flow when he attacked Cang Qiuzi. He had executed his final strike while gritting his teeth. He knew that the last show of strength was necessary, not only to awe second and third elder, but to frighten the Heretical Sword Sect. Only then would everyone believe that his former show of weakness on stage had just been an act.

Blood flowed endlessly from his lips as if it’d never stop. Han Yunxi had already fallen apart. She clutched at the sword sect master’s sleeve and pleaded, “Save him! I’m begging you, you have to save him!”

The sword sect master was on the verge of breaking down himself. His heart ached at the sight. Celestial Mountain might have finally found its peace, but it came at the cost of his beloved disciple’s sacrifice. Now it was hard to say whether he’d even survive.

“Any internal energy of fourth rank or higher should be able to protect him for now,” he muttered to himself.

“Then save him! You’re the respected sect leader of Celestial Mountain Sword Sect! You have to have a way!” Han Yunxi cried, on the verge of madness.

Who could she beg to save him? Who could Long Feiye turn to for help?

Long Feiye had to risk his life to protect Celestial Mountain’s peace and quell the ambitions of the Heretical Sword Sect. Despite this, she couldn’t ask any of the countless fourth-rank experts here to heal him! Of everyone on the peak, her sole resort was the sword sect master. He was the only one who could know the truth. Jackals and wolves lurked at their doors. Once they caught wind of Long Feiye’s serious injuries, they’d never let them live.

Han Yunxi knew that the sword sect master had already exhausted all of his internal energy, but she still tugged stubbornly at his arm. “I’m begging you, you’re the only one who can help him!”

“Grandmaster, I’m begging you to think of a way. Long Feiye’s can’t die! He can’t…” Han Yunxi was crying so hard that the sword sect master felt his heart break.

He decided to risk everything and quickly issued orders. “Someone come, help Feiye into the ninth floor. Anyone who dares spread word of this will be killed without mercy!”

As he prepared to leave, Han Yunxi held him back. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to find the Honored Elders. They’re the only ones who can save him now.”

The Honored Elders never took part in any secular affairs. Even if Celestial Mountain was on the verge of death, they wouldn’t interfere. Their only interest was the study of the sword arts. It was already exceptional enough to see them at the ranking matches, but the sword sect master had no idea if they’d be willing to save a life. Nevertheless, he had to try!

1. The color blue is made of indigo, but more vivid than indigo (青出于蓝而胜于蓝) – qing chu yu lan er sheng yu lan, a Chinese idiom to describe how a student can surpass his master despite being cut from the same cloth.